Revolving firearm



April 22 1924. 7 1,491,635

J. D. RUSS REVOLVING FIREARM Filed Sent. 2 5 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 4 2 J 7 n I 3mm,

April 22, 1924. 1,491,635

J. D. RUSS REVOLVING FIREARM Filed Sent. 25 1922 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 A r I //j/ \\\\r Z0 Patented Apr; 22, 1924.

UNITED STATES 1,491,635 PATENT" OFFICE.

JOHN D. RUSS, OF SPENCER, WEST VIRGINIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO WIR'I N. RUSS, F SPENCER, WEST VIRGINIA.

REVOLVING FIREARM.

Application filed September 25, 1922. Serial No. 590,465.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JornrD. Russ, residing at Spencer, county of Roane, State of West Virginia, a citizen of the United States, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Revolving Firearms, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates, broadly, to revolving firearms, of the type in which a chambered cylinder revolves on a horizontal axis behind the barrel. It has been ascertained, by comparative penetrative tests, that, in this class of firearms, the loss of pressure resulting from gas leakage between the cylinder and the barrel amounts to as much as of the total pressure generated by the explosive.

This loss can be prevented by closing the gap between the cylinder and the barrel at $0 the instant of explosion and keeping it closed until the bullet has completed its flight from the muzzle of the barrel.

The object, therefore, of this invention is to provide a' construction in which the 25 chambered cylinder has a limited reciprocatory motion, as well as a rotary move ment; and to provide means whereby the cylinder moves into contact with the adjacent end of the barrel to close the gap that would otherwise exist between the cylinder chamber and the bore of the barrel, the closing of this gap preventing the loss of pressure of the gas of the exploded charge, and permitting utilization of the full pressure for propelling the projectile through the barrel-muzzle.

While my invention has been designed especially for application to that species of solid frame revolver, in which the cylinder is swung out front the frame, for the purposes of ejecting cartridge shells from said cylinder and of conveniently re-loading the cylinder, yet the broad idea underlying my invention is susceptible of concrete embodiment in means adapted for use with that type of revolving firearm in which the revolving cylinder does not swing sidewise away from the frame. And, for the purpose of demonstrating the possibility of the application of the broad idea of my invention to a revolving fire-arm in which the revolving cylinder does not swing out sidewise from the frame, I have shown in the accompanying drawings (forming part of this specification) an exemplary form of such means.

The drawings show two exemplary forms of means for accomplishing the functional result hereinbefore stated, as applicable to a revolving fire-arm in which the revolving cylinder is mounted to be swung sidewise away from the frame of the fire-arm.

The different views or figures of the drawings may be briefly described as follows:

' Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of a revolving fire-arm, of the type utilizing a swing-out cylinder, equipped with one form of means for closing the gap between the adjacent ends of the cylinder and barrel, at the instant of firing;

Figure 2 is likewise a view in side elevation, this view being taken looking at the side of the fire-arm opposite that shown in Fig. 1;

Figure 3 is a sectional view, on the plane 'of the line 3-3, Fig. 2, looking in the direction of the arrows thereon;

Figure 4 is a detached detail view, in perspective, of the dog, the dog-spring, and the dog-pivot or fulcrum, these parts being shown in assembled relation in Fig. 3;

Figure 5 is a view in side elevation of a revolver, of the type utilizing a swing-out cylinder, equipped with another form of means for closing the gap between the adjacent ends of the cylinder and barrel, at the instant of firing;

Figure 6 is a view in end elevation, looking at the fire-arm in the direction of the arrow numbered 6, in Fig. 5;

Figure 7 is a view partly in section, on the plane of the section-line 7-7, Fig. 5;

Figure 8 is a detached detail collective view, in perspective, of certain associated parts shown in Fig. 5, 6 and 7 and Figure 9 is a fragmentary view, partly in section, of the cylinder and part of the frame of a revolver, equipped with a form of embodiment of my improvements adapted for revolvers of the type having nonswing-out cylinders.

Referring, now, in detail, to the drawings, and, first, to Figs. 1 to 4 thereof:

These figures show a revolver, of the well known Colt type, modified in accordance with my invention.

The barrel 1 is rigidly supported by the s l d f m 2 i the re olver. the end f th barrel adjacent the chambered cylinder 3 being designated by the referencesnumeral 4. i

The revolving cylinder 3 is arranged in a recess in the frame, in rear of the barrel, and, for the charging ofthe chambers in the cylinder with cartridges and for the ejection therefrom of the empty cartridge shells, the cylinder is supported by a crane 5 so as to revolve thereon and so that the crane, with the cylinder, may be swung lat.- erally from and to the normal firing position in the frame.

The crane 5 is jointed to the forward part of the frame below the barrel in front of the cylinder-recess, and carries the cranc-arbor 6, a corresponding seat or recess in the frame below the cylinder-recess being provided for the reception of the crane-arbor, which is not only free to turn therein, but, in accordance withmy invention, is capable of a limited rectilinear movement, whereby the cylinder is movable toward the adjacent end 4 of the barrel 1, at the instant of firing, to close the gap between said adjacent end of the barrel and the cylinder, thus making.

a gas-tight joint between the rear .end of the barrel-bore and the forward end of chamber of the cylinder ,3, inline therewith. For this purpose, the crane-arbor 6 is provided with a circumferential groove ,7, in which is seated the curved end 8 of a dog 9, which is an L-shaped member, disposed in a slot or recess 10 in the frame 2, in the portion thereof carrying the crane-arbor 6. The dog is mounted to rock on a pivot-pin 11, which passes through said dog, at the elbow portion thereof and through a corresponding opening in the frame 2-, the pivothole in the dog being indicated by the reference-numeral 12.

The arm 9* of the dog 9 is provided, toward its free end, with a depression 13, in which seats one end of a coiled spring 14, the other end of which is seated in a corresponding depression 15 in the bottom wall of the rear part ofthe opening 10, said spring being thus interposed between said arm 9 of the dog 9 and the bottom wall of the opening 10, as clearly shown in Fig. 3. The spring 14 functions, as shown in Fig. 3, to tilt the dog 9 on its pivot 11, thus caus- 1ng one end of said dog to press forcibly against the rear end wall 16 of the recess 7 1n the crane-arbor 6, thus maintaining the cylinder 3 yieldingly at the limit of its rearward movement, or, in other words, yieldingly maintaining the cylinder 3 out of contact with the rear end 4 of the barrel 1.

In operation, at the moment of firing, the crane-arbor 6 with the cylinder 3 moves forward as a unit, the dog 9 rocking on its plvot 11 to compress the spring 14. the cvlinder 3 thus being jammed against the end 4 of the barrel 1, and thereby closing the gap between the adjacent ends of the barrel and cylinder, and making a gas-tight joint.

At the momentof firing, there is, of course, the tendency to recoil of the fire-arm, and, by reason of its inertia, the-tendency of the cylinder 3 is to move forward.

hen the force, which has overcome the tendency of the spring 14 to hold the cranearbor and cylinder 3 in rcarmost position, is dissipated sufficiently, the spring 14' acts to return the crane-arbor 6 and cylinder 3 to normal position, i. e., with the adjacent ends of the barrel 1 and the cylinder out of contact.

It will be seen that the structural means devised by me, as shown in Figs. 1 to 4 and as described in detail in connection with such figures, is exceedingly simple, and that the parts are constructed and arranged with a view to entirely satisfactory operation, in use.

Referring, now, to Figs. 5 to 8 inclusive, showing another form of means for yieldingly maintaining the cylinder 3 normally out of contact with the adjacent or rear end 4 f the barrel:

The revolving cylinder 3 in these views is ..of the swing-out type, the same as the cylinder of thepreceding figures of the drawings, and, for this purpose, is supported by-the crane provided with the usual lateral knuckle 6 rotatable in the seat 7 of the solid frame 2 of the revolver, and carrying the usual crane-arbor. The knuckle 6 is adapted to have a limited rectilinear movement, and normally rcstsagainst the end wall 8 of the recess in the frame 2 in which the cranearbor is disposed. Y

An L-shaped member, comprising the arms 9 and 10, is secured to the frame 2, be neath the cylinder 3, and, for this purpose, the arm 9 is disposed, preferably, in a recess 11 in the frame 2, and is held against accidental displacement by a pin 12. The arm of the L-shaped member projects diametrically across the knuckle 6. The free end of the arm 10 is provided with a recess 12, and acomplemental recess 13 is provided in the knuckle 6. A coiled spring 14 is disposed in the recess 12 and bears, at one end thereof, against the end wall of said recess and, at the other end thereof, against ahead 15 on a pin 16. A second coiled spring 17 is seated in the recess 13 and bears, at one end thereof, against the end wall of said recess and, at the other end thereof, against said cap 15, said spring 17 being coiled around said stem or pin 16. The tension of the springs 14 and 17 is such that the craneknuckle 6 is held out of contact with the arm 10 of the L-shaped member secured at 12. to the frame 2, the cylinder 3 (which is carried by the crane 5) being thus maintained normally out of contact with the end 4 of the barrel 1. At the moment of'firing,

however, the action is similar to the construction shown in Figs. 1 to 4: that is to say, upon firing, the tendency of the revolver to recoil and the inertia of the cylinder 3 causes the latter to move forward to close the gap between adjacent ends of the cylinder and barrel, the springs 14 and 17 being compressed by the movement of the crane-knuckle 6 toward the arm 10.

Referring, now, in detail, to Fig. 9:

This view shows a form of embodiment of my invention adapted for use in connection with revolvers having a cylinder 3 which does not swing out from the frame, as in the revolvers shown in the preceding figures. The chambered cylinder 3 revolves on the axle 18, and, for this purpose, is provided with an axial opening 19, into which said axle projects, the axle also projecting, toward the forward end thereof, into an opening 20 in the frame 2 of the revolver, said opening 20 being beneath the rear end of the barrel 1 of the revolver.

Between the rear end of the axle l8 and the end wall of the opening 19 a coiled spring 21 is disposed. The forward end of the axle 18 bears against the conical end 22 of a pin 23, having a circumferential annular flange 24, against which one end of a coiled spring 25 bears, the other end of said spring bearing against a screw plug 26 screwed in the opening 20. The springs 21 and 25 function to maintain the cylinder 3 normally out of contact with the rear end 4 of the barrel 1*; but, upon firing, the action is similar to that described in connection with the pre ceding figures of the drawing? namely, the cylinder, upon recoil of the e-arm, moves other of the springs 21 or 25 is compressed,

thus returning the cylinder automatically to normal position at the proper time. If the springs 21 and 25 are of equal strength, of course, both would be compressed slightly, when the cylinder 3 moves forward, as described. The same is true of the springs 14: and 17 in the form of device shown in Figs. 5 to 9. 7

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters-Patent is:

1. In a fire-arm having a barrel, a revoluble cylinder, a crane carrying said cylinder and having an arbor mounted for limited reciprocatory movement, and a spring pressed dog engaging said arbor and yieldingly holding it against reciprocatory movement in one direction.

2. In a firearm having a barrel, a revoluble cylinder, a crane carrying said cylinder and having an arbor mounted for limited reciprocatory movement, said arbor having a circumferential recess, and a spring-pressed dog engaging in said recess and yieldingly holding said arbor against reciprocatory movement in one direction.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my signature.

JOHN D. RUSS. 

